Page 425 - War Conflict
Rather than paying reparations, Britain must acknowledge colonialism's evil: Tharoor
Rather than paying reparations for the Raj's exploitation of India, Britain must acknowledge the evil legacy of its colonialism and teach its people, according to Congress MP and author Shashi Tharoor.
3 policemen, civilian abducted in J&K
Three policemen and a civilian were abducted by militants in Jammu and Kashmir's Shopian district, authorities said on Friday.
Trump reveals names of soldiers' remains from N Korea
United States President Donald Trump on Thursday identified the remains of the first American soldiers that were returned by North Korea a few months ago.Taking to his Twitter handle, Trump said, "Army Master Sgt. Charles H. McDaniel, 32, of Vernon, Indiana, and Army Pfc. William H. Jones, 19, of Nash County, North Carolina, are the first American remains from North Korea to be identified as a result of my Summit with Chairman Kim. These HEROES are home, they may Rest In Peace, and hopefully, their families can have closure."In June, Trump and North Korean leader Kim Jong-un had met for the first time in Singapore, wherein the latter agreed to repatriate the remains of the US soldiers, who died in the 1950-53 Korean War.The North Korean government in July had repatriated more than 55 cases of remains that were believed to be the American troops. The Defense POW/MIA Accounting Agency (DPAA) had identified the remains of the two soldiers.DPAA director Kelly McKeague was quoted by The ...
Canada declares Myanmar treatment of Rohingya to be genocide
Canada's Parliament has unanimously adopted a motion declaring crimes committed against Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar to be genocide. The motion Friday also endorsed the findings of a United Nations mission that outlined how crimes against humanity have been committed by the Myanmar military against Rohingya and other minorities. In Washington, Canadian Foreign Affairs Minister Chrystia Freeland praised members of Parliament for passing the motion to recognize "this atrocity." Human rights observers called the declaration as a significant milestone. Some 700,000 Rohingya crossed into Bangladesh after a brutal counter-insurgency campaign by Myanmar security forces. The UN report alleged widespread rights violations, including rape, murder, torture and the burning of Rohingya homes and villages. Myanmar denies any organised abuses.
Dissident Colombian rebels murder three geologists, army says
Suspected dissident FARC guerrillas murdered three geologists working for a Canadian gold mining company in northwestern Colombia, the army said on Thursday. The alleged rebels attacked a party representing Continental Gold that was exploring mining deposits. Three other people were injured and one disappeared, the army said in a statement. A Continental Gold source told AFP the three murdered victims were Colombians. FARC rebels signed a historic peace accord with the Colombian government in December 2016, transforming themselves into a political party and ending a half century of armed insurrection. But some dissident members refused to lay down arms and continue to operate in lawless jungle regions rife with drug trafficking violence close to the borders with Ecuador and Venezuela. The army said an operation to track the culprits was ongoing. Continental Gold, headquartered in Ontario, said in a statement it knew no details of the attack but "fears the worst." The attack comes just
J-K: 1 terrorist killed in encounter
A terrorist was gunned down by the security forces after an encounter broke out in Bandipora district of Jammu and Kashmir. The identity of the killed terrorist is yet to be ascertained.The terrorist was killed after a long gunfight which broke out in the forest area of Sumlar in Bandipora on Thursday afternoon.The security forces had launched a cordon and search operation in the area to nab the terrorists, following which the encounter broke out.The search operation in the forest area is underay. More details awaited.
Two militants killed in Bandipora gunfight
Two militants were killed on Thursday in a gunfight between the security forces and the militants in north Kashmir Bandipora district.
US: Possible October talks with North Korea on war remains
The US hopes to begin face-to-face negotiations with North Korea next month on terms for resuming on-the-ground searches in North Korea for remains of American servicemen, a senior Pentagon official said Thursday. Kelly McKeague, director of the Defense POW-MIA Accounting Agency, said the aim is to begin searches at former battlefields next spring if agreement can be reached on areas of current dispute such as the types and amounts of compensation to North Korea for its assistance. Remains of two American servicemen killed during the Korean War and returned by North Korea two months ago have been positively identified, but McKeague would not disclose their names. He said the White House wants to do that. The remains were among an undetermined number contained in 55 boxes the North Korean army turned over to US officials on July 27. McKeague said it was unclear how many individuals are contained in the 55 boxes, but he said it could be dozens more than 55. He described the bones as a ..
Arab Israeli poet jailed for online incitement freed
An Arab Israeli woman jailed for five months for incitement to violence and support for a terrorist organisation in online poems and other social media posts was released from prison Thursday. Dareen Tatour posted a video clip of herself reading her poem "Resist, my people, resist them," in October 2015, accompanied by pictures of clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces, according to authorities. The posts on YouTube and Facebook came as a wave of Israeli-Palestinian violence was erupting, including Palestinian knife attacks. The 36-year-old Israeli citizen was sentenced in July. She was released on Thursday due to time served before her conviction, she and a prison spokesman said. "Freedom is something so sweet that I can't even describe it," Tatour told AFP after her release. She added that she planned to publish a collection of poems and a novel on her experience in prison. International writers' group PEN defended Tatour's actions. She was "convicted for doing what writers
Uganda's pop star MP returns home
Ugandan pop star turned opposition MP Robert Kyagulanyi returned from medical treatment abroad on Thursday to be met by police who forcibly escorted him to his home in the capital Kampala. Since entering parliament last year, Kyagulanyi, 36, and better known as pop star Bobi Wine, has emerged as a leading critic of President Yoweri Museveni, a 74-year-old former rebel leader in charge since 1986. Kyagulanyi has become an opposition firebrand, commanding widespread support among Uganda's youthful, urban population, earning him the government's ire. He faces treason charges, alongside more than 30 others, after Museveni's motorcade was stoned by opposition supporters during a by-election in the northwestern town of Arua last month. Kyagulanyi claims he was beaten and tortured in custody after being arrested, and sought medical care in the US. His rough treatment at the hands of the government sparked street protests and on Thursday security forces took no chances. Riot police and ...
Take strongest possible action against Pak troops involved in jawan's killing: Rajanth to BSF
Home Minister Rajnath Singh has told the Border Security Force (BSF) to take strongest possible action against the Pakistani troops, who slit a BSF jawan's throat along the International Border near Jammu, officials said Thursday. This was conveyed to the top brass of the border guarding force which is deployed along the highly volatile Indo-Pak border. The home minister told top officials of the BSF in no uncertain terms that the strongest possible action should be taken against the Pakistani troops involved in Tuesday's incident, a home ministry official, privy to the development, said. The BSF jawan's throat was slit and his body bore multiple bullet injuries. The missing trooper was found killed by Pakistani troops in the Jammu region, in a first-of-its-kind barbaric act against Indian forces along the International Border. Another official said the BSF is expected to take some "pro-active" action against the Pakistan Rangers to "avenge" the mutilation of the jawan's body. The ...
On the eve of Muharram, Nitish pays rich tributes to Hazrat
On the eve of the mourning of Muharram, Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar Thursday urged the people of the state to draw inspiration from Hazrat Imam Hussain and his associates who had attained martyrdom in Karbala. In a solemn tribute to Hazrat Imam Hussain and the 72 martyrs, Kumar said "they shall always be remembered for their fight against injustice and tyranny". He appealed to the people of the state to "remember the sacrifices of Hazrat Imam, imbibe the ideals of truth, humanity and charity and remain ever ready to fight against evil, injustice and terror", an official release said. The CM also urged the people to approach the tenth day of Muharram in a spirit of harmony and brotherhood. Muharram is considered as one of the sacred months of the Islamic lunar calendar. The battle of Karbala, in which Hussain - the grandson of the Prophet - had attained martyrdom - is said to have been taken place on this date in the 7th century.
1 dead, 4 wounded in roadside ambush in southern Thailand
Suspected insurgents killed one person and wounded four others in a roadside ambush in southern Thailand, a region where a Muslim separatist rebellion has been active for more than a decade, police said Thursday. Also on Thursday, a court convicted two men of involvement in the May 2017 car bombing of a busy shopping center in Pattani province in which 61 people were hurt when the building was partly blown apart. The men, charged with attempted premeditated murder and use of bombs, were given the death penalty, but the penalty was commuted to life in prison because they confessed. Police Capt. Sanguansak Kaewmoon said an unknown number of gunmen used assault rifles to open fire Wednesday on a pickup truck carrying seven people returning from a hunting trip in Yala province. The ambush left the truck riddled with bullet holes. Police suspect the assault was carried out by Muslim separatists who have been conducting a low-level but deadly insurgency in Thailand's three southernmost ...
Burkina region bans night-time motorbikes in anti-jihadist move
The troubled Sahel state of Burkina Faso has banned night-time use of motorcycles in an eastern region plagued by hit-and-run raids by jihadist rebels. "Road traffic between towns and villages in the region is strictly forbidden to travellers on two- or three-wheeled vehicles between 7:00 pm and 5:00 am until further notice," the governor of the Eastern Region, Colonel Ousmane Traore, said in a statement late Wednesday. Cars, buses and trucks will not be subjected to the ban but "will be subjected to strict and rigorous controls," he said. Traore also said mines used by subsistence gold miners -- who often use home-made explosives to remove earth -- would be temporarily closed as a security measure. Islamist attacks on Burkina Faso began in 2015, starting with cross-border incursions in the north but then spreading to the east. The east has seen a string of attacks this year on patrols using improvised explosive devices, in addition to night-time raids by motorbike on remote villages.
Uganda's pop star MP 'taken away' by security officers
Ugandan pop star turned opposition MP Robert Kyagulanyi was taken away by security officers upon arrival at the country's international airport Thursday, his wife Barbie told AFP. "After landing at Entebbe, security surrounded him and took him away. We are not sure where they are taking him," she said. Kyagulanyi, 36 and better known as singer Bobi Wine, had been seeking medical treatment in the United States. He says he was tortured in custody after being arrested last month. The pop star turned opposition firebrand was charged with treason alongside more than 30 others after President Yoweri Museveni's motorcade was stoned by opposition supporters. His American lawyer, Robert Amsterdam, said on Twitter that his client had "again been unlawfully detained" upon arrival in Uganda. Uganda's police chief, Martin Okoth Ochola, insisted that Kyagulanyi "is not under arrest". "What we have done is to escort him from Entebbe airport to his home," he told AFP. "We are under obligation to ..
Security tight as Uganda awaits pop star MP's return
Ugandan security personnel were deployed on the streets of the capital and they controlled the roads leading to the international airport on Thursday, ahead of the return of MP Robert Kyagulanyi, better known as singer Bobi Wine. Kyagulanyi, 36, has been seeking medical treatment in the US for injuries he claims were sustained while allegedly being tortured in custody following his arrest last month. The pop star-turned-opposition firebrand was charged with treason, alongside more than 30 others, after President Yoweri Museveni's motorcade was stoned by opposition supporters. Since entering parliament last year, Kyagulanyi has emerged as a leading critic of Museveni, a 74-year-old former rebel leader in charge since 1986. He was due back in Uganda early Thursday afternoon. Riot police and soldiers were deployed in Kampala and access to the airport, 40 kilometres from Kampala, was tightly controlled by checkpoints and road closures. In a statement issued Wednesday, Ugandan police ...
Afghan official: Taliban attacks kill 5 in central province
An Afghan official says the Taliban have carried out a series of coordinated attacks in central Ghazni province, killing five members of the security forces. Arif Noori, a spokesman for the provincial governor, said three security outposts in Ab Band district were attacked by insurgents in coordinated raids on Thursday morning. Two policemen were wounded in the attacks that lasted several hours as security personnel and insurgents exchanged gunfire. Noori said six Taliban fighters were killed and four were wounded before the attacks were repelled. Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said in a statement that the Taliban captured a district in Ghazni. Insurgents often exaggerate their battlefield gains. Also on Thursday, police officer Amin Jan said a roadside bomb wounded five people in eastern Nangarhar province.
UGC asks varsities to celebrate September 29 as 'Surgical Strike Day'
The University Grants Commission (UGC) on Thursday directed varsities and higher educational institutions across the country to observe September 29 as "Surgical strike day". Talk-sessions by ex-servicemen about sacrifices by the armed forces, special parades, visit to exhibitions and sending greeting cards to pledge their support for armed forces, are among the activities prescribed by the commission for the celebrations. "The NCC units of all universities should organise a special parade on September 29 after which the NCC commander shall address them on the modalities of protection of the borders. The varsities may organise a talk-session calling ex-servicemen to sensitise students about sacrifices made by the armed forces," the UGC said in a communication to all Vice Chancellors on Thursday. "A multimedia exhibition will be organised around India Gate on September 29. Similar exhibitions may be organised in states, union territories, important towns and cantonments across the ...
Boko Haram kills nine villagers in NE Nigeria: militia
Nine people were killed and nine others injured when Boko Haram fighters raided two villages in northeast Nigeria, the civilian militia said on Thursday. Jihadists in pickup trucks attacked Kalari Abdiye and nearby Amarwa, some 20 kilometres (12 miles) from Borno state capital Maiduguri, on Wednesday evening. "The gunmen, who were obviously Boko Haram fighters, killed nine people and injured nine more in the attacks," Ibrahim Liman, from the Civilian Joint Taskforce (CJTF) told AFP. "They attacked the villages around 8:30 pm (1930 GMT) when it was raining and people were indoors." Frightened residents rushed out of their homes but when they did so they were shot "indicriminately", said another CJTF leader, Babakura Kolo. "The two villages were completely burnt by the attackers," he added, giving a similar toll. Both villages are in Konduga, a district of Borno state that has suffered repeated attacks in a nine-year insurgency which has left more than 27,000 dead. Last December six ..
Gunfight erupts in Jammu and Kashmir
A gunfight erupted between militants and the security forces in Jammu and Kashmir's Bandipora district on Thursday, police said.